Engine starting apparatus



Dec. 27, 1932. R, CWL'TQN 1,892,094

ENGINE STARTING APPRATUS Filed Jan. 30. 1929 j illllllllllllllllllll Ill:

l` Bnpentor ROLAND cinifroN,or'iri'nnorri,Nisw

at high speed, andy have also em Yao n larged scale illustrating the connecting ineans bustionengine.

Patented Dec. 27, 1232 funi-TED? Asjra'rle: s`

PATENT OFFICE ECLDSE MACHINE COMPANY, 0l' ELmA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION QE' y NEW .YORK

" ENGINE s'rKafrING Arraaa'rus 'appimtmn nieu January 3o. i929. semi No. essais.

,This invention relates vto engine startingA apparatus, n of the inertia type-for starting internal cohm and more particularly to means bustion engines.

It has heretofore beenpi'op'osed to employ.

a small high speed lywheelasfaI reservoir Vfor the storage offenergyandfto utilize venergy stored therein for 'starting an Y"internal com- Devices of this vl-character embodied manuthe flywheel odied power for 'actuathave, in certain instances', ally voperable means for rotatm means, such as an electric motor, in thefiywheel. I l

t is an object of this invention to provide starting mechanism ofxtlie above type, includ,- ing novel means. for drivably connectingthe electric motor rwith the lywheehwhelleby the v latter may be rotated.

Anotherobject is to rovide novel automatic fmeans for drivably connecting the source of power, such as an electric motor,

` with a rotatably mounted driven. member.

A further object is to provide novel centrifugally operated means for divably connecting anelectric motor with .a rotatably mounted driven member.

A still further object is toprovide a centrifugally operated clutch for automatically. establishing a driving relation between anv a flywheel, which latter elecctricmotor and preferably constitutes a.I part of a self-contained engine-starting device.

, Two embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying rawin it is to beeXpressly understood that the rawing is for purpose of illustration only and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the aplpended claims.

Refeerringto t e drawing, Iwherein .like referencecharacters refer tolike parts throughout the several views, v y

Fi 1 is a longitudinal view, partl in sec# tion, illustrating one embodiment of t e present invention; L

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view on an ensliown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view. with parts buty broken away, of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and v2, the starting mechanism therein shown comprises a housing 6 adapted to be secured, as by means of bolts 7 to the engine crank case, a portion of which is shown at 8. Within the housing 6 is `rotatably mounted asmall high speed inertia member or iywheel 9, whichis JERSEY, ass'IGNoB., BY imsNn ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro' f adapted to drive, through suitable reduction y gearing and yielding means such as a clutch, a )aw memb'er 10. v Any suitable type'of r'e\` duction gearing may be employed in combination with suitable clutch meai-is, and since these elements per se constitute no part of the Y present invention the same are not illustrated.

" The jaw 10 isadapted to be moved into driving engagement with a jaw' 11 rigidly attachdto the engine crank shaft, or anex tension thereof. Y f

, Meansv are'provided 'for rotating thel fi wheel 9 at high speed in order to`store sucient energy therein for cranking the engine.` In the form shown, said means include an 13. The inner end' of the armature shaft 14 of the electric motor isrotatably mounted as by means of a ball bearing in the end wall 16 of housing 6. v

lDrivably connected, in any suitable manner, to the end of amature shaft 14 is a disk ,17 which is ri dly held in driving engagement with said s aft, as by means of a screw 18 and locking member 19. Disk 17; embodies-a hub portion 20 and a peripheral portion 21 whichlies in a diierent vertical plane from the Hat central portion 20a of the disk, the

central portion and the peripheral portion 21 being 'connected by a cylindrical ortion `22, the. vsides of which extend sub parallel to the longitudinal axis of armature shaft 14. The outer surface of cylindrical portion 22 is threaded as at 23 to receive a nut or annular disk 24. The peripheral portion 21 and the member 24 forman annular pocket within which are slidably mounted a plu-` stantially rality of segmental Yshoesv 25 constituting f centrifugally actuated clutch members which are adapted iorradial movement relative to electric motor 12 which may be removably se- :(5 v- `art, into engagement with disk 17 but are held against rotary movement with respect to said disk, said weightsbein mounted in radial pockets or grooves formed in the disk for this purpose. The walls of the ockets are indicated at 25a.

The nut 24 is provided with a plurality of pins 26 which project inwardly into the space or pocket between said nut and the peripheral portion of disk 17. These pins constitute spacing and supporting members for a plurality of coil springs 27, one end of each of said springs having engagement with member 24 and the opposite end extending into a recess formed in the adjacent face of the segmental wedge 25.

The portion 21 of disk 17 is provided adjacent its periphery with an inclined surface 28 which engages correspondingly inclined portions provided adjacent the inner faces of the peripheries of the weights 25.

en the circuit to the electric motor 12 is closed, shaft 14 rotates at high speed, carrying therewith disk 17, member 24 and the centrifu ally actuated members 25. As the speed o? rotation increases the centrifugal force acts to move segmental weights or clutch members 25 radially'into engagement with the adjacent surface of flywheel 9. The inclined surface 28 vprevents direct radial movement of members 25 and saidweights have a combined longitudinal movement and radial movement relative to the armature shaft 14. Springs 27 resist this compound The centrifugal force reaches` movement. such a value, however, into engagement with tion 9a of the rim of the flywheel to establish that members 25 move a driving connection between the motor and ilywieel, whereby the latter is rotated at high .w When the flywheel has been brought to the desired speed cient energy has been stored in theJ inertia member tocrank the engine, the circuit to' the electric motor may be opened, whereupon springs 27 are effective to return the segments `25 to'normal or collapsed position. Flywheel 9 now rotates freely and drives thejaw member 12. The latter is then moved inany suitable manner, as is well understood in the jaw member 11, whereby the energy of the the engine operates under its own power the engine crank shaft rotates faster than member 10, and the inclination of the teeth of jaw members 10 and 11 actto move the jaw 10 out of driving engagement, whereupon the parts are returned to normal position.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated another ement of the invention which is quite similar in 'structure Ito that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. The segmental weights 36 in this embodiment, however, are not provided with recesses to receive coil springs, since a single the overhanging porof rotation, i. e., when suili-I flywheel is rendered effective to crank the engine. When dish-shaped spring 37, which surrounds'the threaded member 38 and bears at its large periphery against the faces of the segments 36 and at its small periphery against member 38, is provided to normally maintain the members 36 in non-driving position. When the latter are moved radially by centrifugal' force into engagement with the adjacent surface 39 of the overhanging rim of the flywheel 40, the inclined faces ofthe centrifugal members and the inclined face provided on disk 17 are still in engagement. Accordingly, when the motor is deenergized, spring prising a, high speed shaft, a disk drivably connected thereto, centrifugally actuated members having engagement with said disk and adapted to move radially into driving engagement with the flywheel, and yielding means for normally maintaining said centrifugally actuated members in non-driving position.

A2. In a self-contained engine starter of the type adapted to be removed as a unit from said engine and embodying a high speed fiywheel, power means lfor wheel, and means for automatically establishing a driving connection between said power means and flywheel including a plurality of centrifugally actuated members operatively connected with the power means and adapted to directly engage the flywheel, yielding means for normally maintaining said centrifugally actuated members in retracted position, and means operatively connected to the power means and the centrifugally actuated members for imparting lateral movement to said centrifugal members. y

3. In starting apparatus of the type embodying a member adapted for longitudinal rotating said flyiio movement into driving engagement with a member ofthe engine to be started, means including aflywheel having' an overhanging rim for actuatin ysaid engine enga ing member, and means or rotating said ywheel to store energy therein, said last named means including a plurality of centrifugally lactuated members, and yielding means yand a member having inclined surfaces for normally maintaining said centrifugally actuated members in non-driving position, said centrifugallyz` actuated members having a combined radial and a longitudinal movement with respect to said flywheel.

4. In aself-contained starting apparatus adapted to 'beconnected as a. unit to an vengine to be started and embodying a jaw means for resisting movement vugal members.

carried by said disk, said disk having an inclined surface engaging correspondingly inclined surfaces on said centrifugal members whereby the latter have a combined radial and a longitudinal movement, and yielding of said centrifdescribed, a

5. Inapparatus of the class p a disk driving member, a driven member,

mounted on/said driving member and having an inclined surface, a plurality of centrifugally actuated ymembers slidably carried by said disk, means disposed substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the driving member for resisting radial movement of said centrifu ally actuated members, and

vmeans carrie by said disk and having engagement with said members for preventing relativerotation between said disk and members, ,thee latter being adapted to 'move radially into driving engagement with the driven member. v

6. In apparatus of the type embodyingv a member adapted for longitudinal movement into driving engagement with a member of the engine tofbe started, means for driving said engine engaging member including a fly- \Wheel having an overhanging rim, a motor i ber to be driven,

5 ment to said centrifugall to move ther same into riving engagement disposed substantially coaxially with said fly- Wheel and havingthe armature shaftfthereof extending into the plane of the overhanging flywheel, a disk carried by said motor shaft and rotatable therewith, radially movable centrifugally actuated members slidably carried by said disk, and yielding means. for resisting radial movement'of said 'centrifugally actuated members. f

7 In combination with a rotatable memdriving means therefor including centrifu ally actuated members, yielding means or normally maintaining said centrifugally actuated members in nondrivin position,.and means for imparting a com ined radial and longitudinal moveactuated` members with the member to be driven. l

8. In a self-contained starting device for internal combustion engines adapted lto be secured as a unit to an engine to be started, an engine en a in member, means includingra yw eel for actuating said engine engaging member, said flywheel at high speed to store energy therein, said last ,namedv means including a a plurality of segmental clutch mem ing the motor to necting motor, centrifugally actuated members drivably connected to said motor and adapted to move` radially into driving engagement with vthe flywheel, and means for yieldingly resisting radial movement of said centrifugally actuated members.

9. In apparatus of the class described, clutch mechanism including a driving member, a member to be driven, a disk carried by the driving member and having a plurality of radially extending walls formin pocketsv ers slidable in said pockets, and yielding means for resisting movement of said clutch members, the latter being adapted for driving engagement with the driven member. .10. In a starting device for engines, an engine engagingv member, means including a high speed flywheel for actuating said engine engaging member, means for rotating said flywheel at high speed to store energy therein, centrifugally actuated members operatively connected to said rotating means and adapted to vmove radially into driving, engagement with the fl wheel, and means for retracting said centri ugally actuated members to disengaged position.

11. An engine starter includingfa driving Imember adapted to Acrank a member of the engine to be started, an inertia device operatively connected therewith, an electric motor co- :initiallyl aligned with the inertiajdevice, and centrifugal means for automatically connectthe inertia device following energization of the motor.

. 12. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to crank a member of the engine to be started, an inertia device eneratively connected therewith, an electric motor normally disengaged from the inertia device, centrifugall meansV for automatically conthe motor with the inertia device following energization of the motor, and means for withdrawing said centrifugal means from driving position vupon de-energization lofthe motor.

In testimony whereofj I have signed this specification.

' nomini cnnnfon.y

and means for rotating E l* 

